Rangers win seven straight

TORONTO — Brandon Dubinsky had a goal and an assist, and the New York Rangers earned their seventh straight win with a 4-1 victory over the winless Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night.

Toronto and the New York Islanders are the only NHL teams that haven’t won a game this season.

Marc Staal, Michael Del Zotto and Enver Lisin also had goals for the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers (7-1). Marian Gaborik added two assists to give him points in all eight games he has played since joining New York during the summer.

Ian White scored for the Leafs (0-6-1).

After missing the playoffs the last four years, the Maple Leafs seem to have taken another step in the wrong direction and have already been soundly booed at home.

Leafs coach Ron Wilson has tried to keep the mood around his players light, having them play dodgeball in practice this week in an effort to ease the growing tension. It didn’t work.

The first period against New York was emblematic of the Leafs struggles as they emerged trailing 1-0 despite being the stronger team.

Toronto moved the puck nicely on an early power play and speedy forward Jason Blake had a breakaway, but the Leafs couldn’t put a puck behind Henrik Lundqvist.

Dubinsky gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead after skating in on a 3-on-1 and beating Joey MacDonald with a nice wrist shot at 16:00. It was his third goal of the season.

The Leafs have been outscored 11-2 in the first period this season.

Two young Rangers defensemen quickly made this one a little larger. Staal beat MacDonald through the legs on a wraparound at 4:36 before the rookie Del Zotto made it 3-0 just over a minute later, scoring his third of the season on a shot from the point.

White’s goal 21 seconds after Del Zotto scored gave Toronto some life. Standing at the top of the crease, the defenseman found a loose puck and shoveled it behind Lundqvist at 6:08.

Toronto received two power plays before the end of the period but couldn’t pull any closer.

Lisin quickly erased any notion of a comeback by roofing a shot over MacDonald at 2:26 of the third period.

NOTES: Rangers forward Donald Brashear wears No. 87. He’s the only current player in the NHL other than Sidney Crosby to do so. ... Former Leafs Mark Osborne, Bill Berg and Felix Potvin performed the ceremonial faceoff on “90’s Night.” ... Toronto took the warmup in retro jerseys adorned with names like Rouse, Macoun and Borschevsky. ... Garnet Exelby, Jamal Mayers and Nikolai Kulemin were scratched for the Leafs. ... Aaron Voros didn’t play for New York.